Spraying machine



Patented Oct. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES;

laisses PATENT n The present invention relates to improvements 1n spraying machines adapted to atomize water or other fluid from a series of jet devices arranged in a substantially straight line, and frequently 4tribution, especially in starting, andwat other times, among the air sprays of the fluid, even though applied in greater or less quantity; and to provide a simple, reliable vand eicient spraying machine. Other objects of the present invention will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated, the invention may be said to consist in the provision of a series of flow surfaces having capillary action and over which the iiuid passes from a reservoir to a series of air jets, the

capillary action ofthe surfaces operating upon' starting to insure flow over all the surfaces, and thus to effect uniform distributionof liquid among the jets, and this operation may be described by saying that the word capillary is used in its ordinary dictionary sense as Apertaining to the phenomena of the spreading of liquids over sur` faces, explicable by surface tension and ultimately by cohesion and adhesion considered as forces acting at iinite but insensible distances.

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed. l In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which is illustrated an embodiment of the invention chosen from other embodiments for the sake of explanation and in the drawing Figure 1 is a top view of a spraying machine, lor of one unit thereof, embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 4 is a front view of parts of the device shown in Fig. 3 and included by broken lines, indicating also the angle in which the air jet is ineluded.

There is a dam b and it constitutesthe front :wall of the reservoir 2 and both the reservoir and ing across and open on each side of the darn and possessed of capillary action which effects even distribution of fluid initially and thereafter passing from the reservoir 2 to the lsluiceways 1, as the uid level in the reservoir rises. The sluiceways lare generally Vshape in cross section, and the bottoms of the sluiceways are at the same level. If the adhesion of the iiuid to the surfaces of the sluicevvays 1 exceeded the cohesion of the fluid, as would be the case with metal surfaces and, for example, water, in which case, on starting the now, the Water level would rise in the sluiceways slightly `above the rising water level in the reservoir 2, and' then flow would start through one, or more, but not all of the sluiceways, and such flow would continue and the distribution of the fluid between the sluiceways would not be even and the main spray resulting from all the ,fluid discharged from all the sluiceways would not be uniform across the machine. However in the case of the described surfaces posel sessed of capillary action as the fluid level in the reservoir 2 rises on Starting, flow commences through all of the sluiceways, and if this is not the case with some of the sluiceways, iiow almost immediately starts through them, so that the main spray resulting from the machine is uniform, and this is true even though the quantity of fluid is increased or diminished. 3 is a means for introducing a regulated supply of uid to the-` reservoir 2, and 4 is a baffle for facilitating even distribution of the fluid to the sluicewaysV 1. vFor the same purpose recesses 5 (Figs. 1 and 3) are provided in the front Wall of the reservoir. As shown, the recesses 5 are a number of spaced notches arcuate in horizontal cross-section and of the depth shown in Fig. 3. The inserts 12 are circular and hence the form of the recesses 5, as shown in Fig. 3. 6 is a means for supplying air to the air trunk 7 through the screen 8 and through the openings 9 to the air channels or jets 10, which happen to be arranged in groups of three covered by a single plate 11. However, these details are not essential or important. It is advantageous, however, that the angle in cross section of the sluiceways 1 should exceed the angle a, Fig. 4, within which the escaping air jet is included. The air jets under pressure, leaving the open ends of the channels 10, expand. The angle .a indicates the degree or limit of expansion or fanning and the angle between the walls of the groove or sluiceway is a wider angle, and the air jets do not play on the walls. While the reservoir is shown as open at the top, it may of course be covered in order to exclude dust, but Such Cover is not necessary for the operation of the device. Clearly the sluiceways may be readily cleaned without interrupting the operation of the device since they are exposed. The surfaces of the sluiceways 1 may be provided by forming the sluiceways in inserts 12 of porous material. The surface of porous material, of course, presents holes, openings, orifices, fissures or short passages. Such a surface is not smooth or polished and is capillary, in the indicated sense of that Word. Bakelite and layers of fabric is an example of such material. The rest of the structure may be made of metal.

The described machine is novel in another aspect which is atomizing or spraying fluid flowing down in open grooves by means of air or like jets arranged to discharge crosswise of the grooves and disposed at the bottoms of the grooves, without regard to the special means employed for creating and maintaining the flow, so that in all cases the described surfaces having capillary action are not necessary and may be omitted in cases where the use of the invention in the lastnamed aspects only is desired.

Oil is an example of a fluid which will operate with metal grooves or sluiceways having porous or rough surfaces as described, and in such case the described inserts may be omitted and the dam made of such metal alone because it possesses capillary action in respect to oil in the same way that layers of bakelite and duck and rubber present a surface possessed of capillary action inl respect to water, as has been described. In some cases the dam can be made wholly of porous material having capillary action.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and matters of mere form Without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:

1. In a spraying machine the combination of a dam, a series of sluiceways provided in and below the top of the head of the dam and each presenting in its concave portion a surface of porous material extending across and through each side of the dam and possessed of capillary action in respect to the fluid employed and which elects even distribution of fluid between the sluiceways, and a series of air jet devices on the discharge side of the bottoms of the sluiceways.

2. In a spraying machine the combination of a reservoir, a series of air jet devices, a series of sluiceways aligned with the air jet devices and extending from above the bottom of the reservoir and inclined downwards to the air jet devices, and a concave surface as of porous material possessed lof capillary action in respect to thel iiuid employed and provided below and on both sides of the sluiceways and defining the same.

3. In a spraying machine the combination of a metal dam, a series of notched inserts of porous material possessed of capillary surface action in respect to the fluid sprayed and arranged in the head of the metal dam, a series of air jet devices below the bottoms of the notches, and down- 'wardly inclined grooves provided in the metal of the dam and extending between the inserts and the air jet devices.

4. In a spraying machine thecombination of a metal dam, a series of notched inserts of porous material possessed of capillary surface action in respect to the uid sprayed and arranged in and below the head of the metal dam, and a series of air jet devices below the bottoms of notched portions of the inserts and aligned therewith.

5. In a spraying machine the combination of open top grooves and air jet devices located at and aligned with the bottoms of the grooves and arranged to discharge crosswise thereof.

6. In a spraying machine the combination of open top grooves V-shape in cross section, and jet devices located at and aligned with the bottoms of the grooves, the angle included between the walls of the grooves exceeding the angle of diffusion of the sprays from the jet devices.

7. In a spraying machine the combination of pressure jet devices, and means for supplying fluid to said jet devices comprising open top u HARRY C, COLE. 

